


Kiss and Makeup

by DesdemonaAngel



Category: Labyrinth (1986)
Genre: Beauty issues, Body Image, Drag, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/M, Gender and Sexuality, Humor, Men wearing makeup, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-09-19
Updated: 2016-10-05
Packaged: 2018-08-16 00:06:58
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 3,808
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8079166
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DesdemonaAngel/pseuds/DesdemonaAngel
Summary: Sarah sends a gift to Jareth that prompts much more from both sides.





	1. Lipstick

It started as a gag gift.

 

She’d been toying with the idea as she’d held the tube of lipstick that read “Peachy Keen.” It was actually an attractive color that might have been more pastel than Salmon. Sarah had only gone down the makeup aisle out of sheer boredom when she’d spotted the lipsticks, remembering how she’d lost hers during her run through the labyrinth.

 

It advertised as matte color instead of being glossy. She’d then taken the top off to inspect it further by applying some on the back of her hand. It was pinker than skin tone and--she giggled--it had a touch of glitter in it. She knew how much the Goblin King loved his glitter and about how much makeup he probably put on his face. Honestly the man had no shame. So she bought it, snickering to herself the entire time. Revenge for that night five years ago from his side of the court had never come, much to Sarah's’ surprise. She figured it was time to knock on the door and see if anyone answered.

 

Purely out of curiosity. Not because she might have a slight crush on the man. Nope.

 

Not knowing any real good way to send it over there Sarah defaulted to the goblins for help.

She held up the lipstick to them “Alright now, see this?”

They nodded in unison.

“This is for the King. Tell him it’s from ‘The Girl who ate the Peach and **_Remembered Everything_ **.’ You guys do this for me and I’ll let you have popcorn when you get back, ok?”

 

“Right Boss-Lady!!!” they said before disappearing with the tube of lipstick she’d given them. Now she just had to sit back and wait.

 

* * *

 

   

“What is this rubbish?!” Jareth held up the plastic black tube he’d been handed. The Goblins crowded around the Goblin King’s desk as he’d been caught in the middle of paperwork that afternoon. Not much work as far as wished away children these days; not since that night five years before. He still thought of her though he’d be the last person to admit it to anyone.

 

It was usually in the dead of night, or while spinning crystals in bordum, or in the bathtub, or in the bedroom. He’d hated losing to her, the Labyrinth was never the same afterwards and neither had he. But a dark part of him would silently grin and tease saying _“But you liked it, didn’t you? Losing for the first time was refreshing in its own way; how she ripped the rug right out from under your feet and took control. You fought hard but she fought harder and won.”_

He’d hated it. And loved it too.

 

“It's a present!” One of the goblins exclaimed.

One of Jareth’s painted eyebrows piqued with interest “Hmm. Who from?”

“From...uh...what was her name again?”

Another elbowed his fellow goblin in the ribs “You know, it’s from ‘The Girl who ate the Peach and **_Remembered Everything!”_ **

Jareth damned near dropped the tube of lipstick. After all these years…

 

“Leave me.”

The goblins didn’t need to be told twice and scampered away leaving Jareth to himself. He set it carefully on his desk and pretended to return to writing but his mind wasn’t having it. Growling he snatched the lipstick tube up again and took a closer look.

 

“Peachy Keen.”

 

Uncapping it he was taken aback at the color. True he wore makeup, occasionally dyed his hair iridescent colors and even sported glitter but rarely did he consider lipstick. Curiosity got the better of him and he summoned a mirror to float before him as he cautiously started to apply it to his own lips like it might be a trap.

 

_“Hell it could be poisoned for all I know.”_

 

Finished, the Goblin King flexed and puckered his once thin lips that were now --dare he say it-- rather fetching in this color. It looked nice on him damnit! If this had been sent to mock him then she wasn’t doing a good job of it.

But she had sent it. To him. So she did think of him as well.

  
Maybe...just maybe he would thank her for her generosity. But first he needed to change his eyeshadow to match.


	2. Blush

When the goblins came back from their initial mission to the castle, Sarah kept her work and made them popcorn before putting on a movie for the to watch in her apartment livingroom. The movie was Thumbelina and she watched as they threw bits of kernels at the screen in outrage when the toad kidnaps the tiny girl.

 

Funny, I thought they’d be rooting for the toads to win, she thought.

 

“Ello again!”

 

Sarah blinked and looked around.

 

“Down ‘ere!”

 

Looking down on her coffee table was the little blue worm who’d helped her get into the labyrinth. Sarah smiled and crouched down to eye level for him so he didn’t have to strain his neck or yell.

“Hey! What are you doing here?”

 

“Oh just in the neighborhood. And since I was passing through, the king asked me to send ya’ this ‘ere note. I don’t usually do this sort’a thing but I figured if it was you then why not.” Behind him he dragged out a roll of parchment tied with a ribbon about the same size as he was with his mouth. Sarah took it carefully from the worm and untied it so she could read it.

 

“Um, can I get you anything before you go?” she asked looking back at him. He shook his fuzzy head. “Who me? Nah, gots to get back to the missus for dinner soon. Just wanted to stop by and see how you was. Ta!” and just like that the worm disappeared as if he’d never been there. Well. Opening the scroll Sarah begin to read.

  


_To The Girl who ate the Peach and Remembered Everything_ ,

 

_After all this time words still fail to come to me in regards of the last time we met. If the gift you so “graciously” sent to me via the goblins was meant to rub salt in the wounds then the jest is on you my dear. I’m afraid you’ll just have to try harder than that to get my goat if that was indeed what you were aiming for. Besides, I think I’m more of a Summer look._

 

_Better luck next time precious._

 

And in the corner right next to the last sentence was the unmistakable color of the lipstick in a near perfect pucker mark. The cheeky bastard had sent her a kiss.

 

“Oh my god…”

 

He’d actually put the lipstick on and sent her a kiss.

 

“Oh my god...”

 

The image of Jareth wearing that peach pink lipstick she’d sent did several things to her head all at once. Her face flushed hotly as her hands gripped the parchment tighter.

“Oh my god!” she screamed. “It is **_so_ ** on Goblin King.”


	3. Eyeshadow

“God no. He’d look like Jem from ‘Jem and the Holograms’.” Sarah put down the garishly bruise colored purple eyeshadow she’d picked up like it was going to burn her. Two weeks had passed and the Goblin King hadn’t sent another word to her. Nothing, nada, zilch. Then again she’d been working night shift at the library to catalog and sort out the old literature for the updated ones coming in, so it wasn’t as if she’d had the time to write him back.

 

Except now that was. Payday. 

 

She’d practically raced to store that Friday after work; blood pumping in her ears as she got to the cosmetic aisle. True, when she’d picked out the lipstick it had been at a dollar store and not high quality but that was going to change as she strode down the impressive cosmetic section of the higher end company chain brand store. She snickered at the thought of the Goblin King finding out the lipstick was cheap.

 

_ “You gave me a tube of dollar store lipstick?!” _

_ “Actually it was half off because it was in the bargain bin.” _

_ “You gave me cheaper than cheap lipstick?!?” _

_ “Yup.” _

_ “I gave you everything Sarah, why?!”  _

Why indeed. Why was she really doing this now she thought. What was the point other than to goad him like he’d done to her five years ago. Every chance he’d gotten he’s used to try and keep her from winning even to the point where he’d used himself. She hadn’t really understood it until much later, being the late bloomer than she was, but the realization that he’d been trying to seduce her in the Ballroom had left its impression on her ever since she’d realized.

 

And life wasn’t fair and she’d learned that she didn’t have to be fair either. He’d played dirty, now it was her turn.

 

“Light blue kind of reminds me of grandma when she’d go to church...I can’t imagine that on him. Canary Yellow? Eeww. Red...eehhh, maybe. Well so much for the basic colors.”

 

She spent a good half an hour browsing through most of the products with little success. Nothing seemed to jump out at her enough to scream “Pick me! I’m outrageous enough for the Goblin King!” 

 

She tried remembering his face in the ballroom, how it looked again. His face had been angular like facets on a cut stone, his mouth a thin line of painted pearl. Then there were his fascinatingly strange eyes and those upturned cat eyes hed had painted on. Sarah remembered him alright, it was a face she’d never forgotten.

Feeling dejected that her mission was going to flop Sarah turned to head home until her eyes lit on a silver box displaying three metallic colors. Gold, Silver, and Copper shimmered up at her like pirates doubloons from a treasure trove ripe for the taking. 

 

“Holy Chrome: Trifecta Pack.”

 

* * *

  
  


At least she’d wrapped the gift this time. Albeit it was neon red with white letters all over that said “Ho Ho Ho” on it. He’d quickly left the throne room to escape to his own. Quickly, as soon as the door was bolted behind him, Jareth started ripping the wrapping paper off. 

 

_ I’m not excited. I’m  _ **_not_ ** _ excited. I just don’t want to delay the inevitable disappointment that the gift might bring. It could be anything this time, not necessarily makeup. It could be rubbish or something plastic like what she gave Hoghead. _

 

Out of the wrapping paper fell two things onto his desk. The first was a letter that he snatched up to read after pulling his half moon spectacles out from the desk drawer.

 

_ To his Majesty, _

_ I recall you saying, on my last visit to the Underground: Your eye can be so cruel. _

_ Needless to say your eyes have never left my mind and I’ve never forgotten their uniqueness. _

_ On the other hand I also haven't forgotten about that cheeky letter you sent either; I’m surprised you didn’t write it with the lipstick for more of a dramatic effect since you were so full of surprises before. _

_ So I figured you just have bad taste in makeup and needed all the help you could get. Saw these and thought of you.  _

 

_ Your welcome you big Drag Queen.  _

 

At the bottom Sarah had scribbled a face sticking its tongue out at him.

 

“Really Sarah? Such childish accusations that I, Jareth the Goblin King, have little to no taste on how I put my face on is low even for you.” 

 

His heart gave a flutter as he picked up the other sheet that had fallen out which turned out to be a thing of stick on rhinestones in gorgeous iridescent crystal colors.

 

Next came the big box. He struggled with how to open it, grumbling and cursing at it until he finally just ripped it open with his letter opener. Out tumbled three round compacts of gold, silver and copper like the sheen on metal. They were dazzling, they were perfect. He covered his face in his gloved  hands.

“She too good, damn her!!!”

 

He was quick to snatch them all up as well as the stick-ons to go and apply them to his face eagerly. Jareth sat down at his own vanity, a rich dark wood carved with swirls and horned creatures of the Underground.

 

_ The Copper--no the Gold!  _

 

It came with a tiny and very inadequate brush that he tossed out the window before pulling out his own. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d done himself up, even the events he was invited to now were muted affairs compared to his days in the past. He’d always worn the flashiest clothing of silk and lace, the tightest pants to hug his skin everywhere, his hair and face had always been done perfectly so that all heads would turn in his direction. He’d ruled the crowd by his looks and dress, held them sway as he seduced them all.

 

But after Sarah he’d stopped. What had been the point? She obviously hadn’t succumbed to his charms like everyone else had, she’d won and left him feeling like all the color and vibrancy in his world had been washed away. He'd felt old and wore out, his ego crushed saying things inside him like he wasn't attractive anymore otherwise things would have gone his way. He’d never been summoned after that night either. No more wish-away children; he’d been forgotten like the old relic he was now.

 

Jareth didn’t want to think of the crows feet around his eyes as he stuck on the last glittering crystal on his upper lid.

 

“Well now…” he said leaning back to look at himself in the mirror. It was like he was himself again, the gold metallic eyeshadow under his now gem encrusted eyelids was dazzling. He’d broken out a small thing of red ochre that he’d painted carefully under his eyes that now looked like and Underground sunset. Near the mirror he picked up the tube of pink lipstick to complete the look. It was...he was... _ he felt _ ...  

  
“Beautiful.”


	4. Come on baby, lets go!

“I’m telling you, something fishy’s up. Jareth’s acting way too darned chipper around the castle these days. I think he’s broken his old record for bogging the goblins...” Hoggle grouched before drawing another card from the pile. It was their twice a month annual Thursday night card game with Hoggle and Sir Didymus, Ludo was back at the bridge on guard duty for the fox knight. “Not to mention what he’s starting to wear.”

 

It was enough to catch Sarah’s attention. “O--oh? Is he? Sounds about as ominous as glitter.”

 

“Truly thou doesn’t know the agony of glitter my lady.” Sir Didymus shuddered before grabbing another card.

 

Sarah smiled at her set of queens. “Just out of curiosity, what is he wearing these days?”

 

Hoggle leaned back in his chair “Last I saw he looked like one of the Fireys; he was wearing this red and gold outfit with loads of feathers. I think he was actually wearing more makeup than usual too which is weird anyways.”

 

“Why’s that?”

 

“Well...it's just that ever since you won he’s kind of been…”

 

Sir Didymus discarded on his turn. “What Sir Hoggle means to say my lady is that his Majesty has become somewhat of a recluse ever since you bested him. He only ever comes out to visit other royals in the distant kingdoms and since there have never been any other wish away children he hasn’t come out of the palace for a long time.”

 

Sarah’s stomach dropped. This was the first she’d heard of him from her friends since that night five years ago. “You mean he’s shut himself away? Jeeze thats…”

 

“Ah Ha! A royal flush! I win!” Sir Didymus crowded slapping his full house down on the kitchen table much to the consternation of Hoggle who cried out that he must have cheated. This was generally a normal card night for everybody except that when Sarah had seen the two off through her closet door mirror she flopped on the bed with a bit of a heart ache.

 

Had he really locked himself away?

Sarah felt utterly rottan. She hated making anyone feel bad even if it was because she’d been fifteen and trying to win her baby brother back from the clutches of an evil Goblin King. She was older now, a little wiser to the way things were in the world, but still…

 

She got up and stood at her mirror, ready to do the unthinkable. But...what if...she wasn’t welcome? What if he didn’t want to see her?

 

“No. Damn it I won’t know if I don’t try.” she told herself.

 

“I wish the goblins would come and take me to the castle beyond the goblin city right now!”

 

Almost at once a group of goblins appeared before her looking somewhat sheepish as they kicked at her carped with dirt boots and looked around at her small apartment bedroom rather than at her.

 

Impatiently she crossed her arms “Well?”

 

“Oh no she’s crossed her arms!”

 

“Just like the king does when he ain't happy!”

 

“Spare us Boss Lady!”

 

“Oh for goodness sakes guys I just want you to take me to the King.” She said.

“Oh. Um…”

 

“Um?” What did um mean? Maybe this whole plan **_was_ ** going to backfire before she’d even taken her first step.

 

“Um...Nobody's ever...wanted to go...willingly?”

 

Oh. That explained a lot. Thinking quickly Sarah went over to her crafting supplies where she’d gotten the wrapping paper and managed to locate a red stick on present bow which she proceeded to stick to her head. “Well if it helps I’ll pretend to struggle and you can tell his majesty that you guys caught me.”

 

“Oooo, Ahhhh!”

  
Yeah this idea was bad on so many levels.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know in the novelization Jareth is secretly worried about him getting older and his looks. Such a big Drama Queen, which means its Sarah to the rescue!


	5. Kissable

Oh yes, Jareth thought admiring himself in the full length mirror of his bedroom. The new tights he’d conjured up were smashing! He only wore the tights leaving his pale chest exposed in the mirror. They hugged his lower half in all the right places, emphasizing his front tightly. He ran his hand up the side of his lavender and silver striped leg feeling the smoothness against his skin; he usually didn’t take his gloves off unless it was to bathe.

 

On the plus side the silver went with his hair, which in the last few years had finally turned. He’d literally waited a thousand years for that hereditary trait to catch up. Jareth had never understood why human men loathed the notion of silver or gray hair and the act of getting older. If anything he looked just as resplendent as his ancestors had before him. Now if he could only do something about those wrinkles around his eyes! Perhaps he’d put on that silver eyeshadow today.

 

“Mirror mirror on the wall, who’s the fairest of them all?” he sighed. Jareth expected no reply as per usual. Wistfully he put his hand on the mirror before hanging his head. Who was he really kidding now?

 

“Well...I still think you are.”

 

That voice.

 

Jareth quickly looked again in the mirror. There she was standing in the doorway as if she’d always been there. She still looked so young and beautiful like the last time he saw her as she’d recited the words of power. How she’d knocked him on his ass as he’d watched in total adoration of the woman she’d become on her journey. His throat clicked dryly as he swallowed.

 

“Sarah.”

 

“Hello Jareth.”

 

He turned around slowly, his usual confidence and attitude she’d seen during her trip appeared to have evaporated, leaving behind a man that looked lost and very,very lonely now. Sarah took a deep breath and made her way towards him, watching as he unknowingly took steps backwards until his back was pressed against the mirror as she stood right in front of him.

 

 _“_ What….is on your head?” he asked.

 

“Hu? Oh!” Sarah pulled the bow off of her head, embarrassed. “Christmas bow.”

 

They stood there together in awkward silence, neither really sure what to say after so long as well as personal history. It was Sarah who shook her head.

 

She turned to go. “This is silly, I never should have come back--”

 

“NO!” Jareth’s ungloved hand grabbed her wrist stopping her. “I...mean, no. I want you to stay--if that’s what you want, that is?”

 

“Well, I mean, I did come here to see you--”

 

“You did?”

 

“Yeah. Look...I know we didn’t part on the best of terms last time...and we didn’t exactly meet on the best of terms either...but I think I’d like to get to know you.” she said in a husky quiet tone. Jareth felt like he was going over the moon, the butterflies in his stomach were out of control and the grin on his face just couldn’t be wiped off.

 

“Besides, I also heard that you needed to be rescued and figured i was the best person for the job.”

 

“Rescued? What are you talking about? Who said such rubbish?!”

 

“Oh come on Jareth, locking yourself away isn’t healthy and you know it!”

 

“Well perhaps I had some justifiable reasons!”

 

“Like what?”

 

“I gave you my heart and you promptly stomped on it, not to mention how old I am now! I think that’s justifiable enough to not show my face in public especially since you obviously didn’t find me attractive to begin with! ” Jareth yowled.

 

“I’ve always been attracted to you, you huge Goblin Drama Queen!!!” Sarah shrieked back.

 

“Y--you--really?” he whispered unbelievingly. It was Sarah’s turn to heave a sigh.

 

“Every time you came to try and stop me, even in the ballroom, you were the only person I couldn’t take my eyes off of. You’re….. _really beautiful.”_ Sarah looked at him now as if he was the most brilliant star in the night sky before leaning closer to him to stand on her tip toes. “And you want to know what else Goblin King?”

 

His voice was almost gone by now, stolen by this woman he’d fallen for all over again. “What’s that?”

 

“I’d really like to kiss you. I’ve wanted to kiss you for such a long time. So may I?”

 

She was asking him. She was asking to kiss him. She wanted his permission. This was almost too much to stand.

 

“Oh Sarah ye--wait!!! Wait just one second!” He ran to his vanity while sarah watched him doing something with his back turned to her. “There. **_Now_ ** you can kiss me, precious.” he said turning back to stride over to her again, wrapping his arms around her waist. Sarah’s smile was huge. He was wearing the lipstick.

  
And the kiss was perfect.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Happy purring noises* 
> 
> Well, there you go. Hope you enjoyed it. There will be more stories since I love Labyrinth. Plus, silver!Jareth sounds kind of hot ;)


End file.
